


Glimmer did not forget the cake

by Bagge



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Bonding, Force field scene, Gen, Light Angst, Uffish mood, platonic glitra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:53:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27667769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bagge/pseuds/Bagge
Summary: When Glimmer is in uffish mood late at night, she sets out to find the one person who understands.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	Glimmer did not forget the cake

**Author's Note:**

> I just really love that force-field scene. Copyright belongs to copyright holders.

Night in Brightmoon.

The real moon hidden behind heavy clouds, even its namesake runestone more subdued than usual.

Queen Glimmer slowly walked down the corridors, all alone. That was unusual.

She was never alone. Always a gaggle of courtiers and guards and visitors and functionaries and friends (and on a few memorable occasions - enemies). Now it was only her, and empty, echoing rooms in a castle far too big for just one person.

She shivered.

It would be so easy just to poof back up to her quarters and snuggle down with Bow, or summon the servants, or even just pop down to the guards for some company. But she didn't. Some nights you need to be alone. Even when you don't want to. Especially when you don't want to.

Her bare feet got wet and she saw that a door was open to a small balcony. Rain gathered on the floor.

Glimmer hesitated for a moment, and then slid down on the floor with her back to the window next to the door. It was cold, but she didn't mind.

She sat like that for a few moments, or maybe a few hours. It was hard to tell.

A nearly undetectable sound from outside the window. A sudden pressure on the glass, an increase in temperature through the window. Someone had sat down on the other side with their back to her.

They sat like that for a while in silence.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it, princess," Catra said with low voice. Glimmer had to focus to hear her through the glass.

"Yes," she simply said.

They shared silence for a while, shared memories. Catra turned around and glanced at Glimmer. The queen looked paler than usual.

"You are up late."

"So are you."

"Usually am. The day... there's so much of it. So many people to get in fights with. So many lines to be wary of. It's easier at night. I've got the whole world to myself..." Catra sighed. "Sometimes, in night like these, I can pretend I'm the only person in the world. No one I hurt, no one I disappointed, just me being me."

"Sometimes, in nights like this, when no one is around... I feel like I'm the only person left in the world... Like if everyone else is.... that they have..." tears formed in Glimmer's eyes. Her voice trailed off.

"Like everyone else is dead. Because you killed them," Catra softly finished the sentence. "Yeah, I know. I get that too."

"I was so angry," Glimmer whispered. "So scared. So betrayed. So hurt. Felt I... I had to do something, no matter who I hurt. I... Nothing Horde Prime ever did to me scared me as much as... me. What I almost did."

She felt something touch her leg and looked down. Catra's tail had sneaked round the open door and was brushing against her. It was damp but strong like a coiled spring. Glimmer hesitated a moment and then put a hand on it.

"Hey, Sparkles, I get it. People tell me it's a work in progress so... maybe don't blow up the universe again? OK?" They chuckled.

"Do you want to know something really pathetic," Catra said after awhile. Glimmer said nothing. Catra opening up to you was like juggling eggs. One wrong move and things could get very messy. She did dare a soft little squeeze on the tail.

"When I'm out like this... doing my own thing... sneaking around... I've done it since I was a kid. Only way to get some privacy in the horde, you know."

"I understand. I did the same thing when I started teleporting. Mom almost lost her mind"

"I never go far from a spot where I can see Adora's window." Catra tilted her neck slightly. Glimmer realized that the room where Adora was currently snoring was on this side of the castle.

"Oh... that's not pathetic, that's rather..."

"If you say 'sweet' I'll rip your head off."

"Fair."

"And of course it's pathetic. I'm the big bad Catra. I led the Horde. I'm a predator. I'm don't need anyone... And yet here I am whimpering like a _dog_ not daring to go too far from my mistress"

Glimmer was really proud of herself for keeping quiet.

"Sometimes I'm afraid that if I go too far... or am away for too long or... that she won't be there when I get back. Just an empty bed... that she..." Glimmer squeezed the tail.

"Shhhhhh. It's OK. She's still there. She's not going anywhere. Not without you." Catra let out a little whimper.

" _I know_. That's what makes it so pathetic."

Glimmer patted the tail, not saying anything.

"Adora doesn't get it, you know." Catra went on after a little while. "She always has this line drawn between..."

"Right and wrong?"

"Yeah, that too. But failing and succeeding. That's what it was all about for her. Fail or succeed to do her duty, the right thing, whatever. And any time she thought she failed she just doubled down."

Glimmer nodded.

"She was never the problem," she whispered.

"But I was," Cara said with bitter voice.

" _We_ were," Glimmer corrected. "Bow doesn't get it either. For him it's all trying ones best... well, I did. I did my best. I pushed my limits. I pulled off my plan. I won the war... And I hurt everyone I loved in the process."

"Well, water under the bridge, right, Sparkles? All forgiven? We can all move on?" They both laughed at that.

"Yeah, right."

"You see it too, in their eyes?"

"Sure. I raise my voice in the princess' council and they all just freeze. 'Is she going killer queen again'?"

"I... try to avoid Mermista. It's for the best."

"Yeah."

They fell silent again. Catra glanced at Glimmer.

"I used to think so too, for a while. That me hurting people was the scariest thing. I mean... I hurt a lot of people and usually it didn't bother me... except when I hurt..."

"Yeah."

"But then something worse happened, something scarier. When I lost... me."

"The chip?"

"Yes... I was so... I don't know... peaceful? Sincere? But... I wasn't me. Something was stolen. The worst part is that sometimes, even now I.... I might want to be that person again... everything was so easy in the light of Horde Prime... I... I..." Catra's voice trailed off, and to her great shock Glimmer realized she was crying.

"You didn't have to come back for me," Catra sobbed. "You could have left me there. You _should_ have left me there."

"I would never do that."

"Of course not. You're an idiot. But... I... I didn't deserve it..."

"What? You saved me first, remember?"

"That 'one good thing' thing? Yeah, you're welcome. Couldn't just leave you to rot."

"No, not that.... Well, that too. But... you talked to me. You kept me company. You kept me sane. You gave me _cake_. I never would have made it without you, Catra."

Silence.

Then:

"I never would have made it without you either, Glimmer."

Glimmer didn't dare to move, she didn't dare to breath. She just sat in absolute silence. Catra snorted.

"Yeah, I know your name. Just don't make it a thing, Sparkles."

"I won't," she promised.

They sat in silence for awhile, sharing the company of someone who understood. Perhaps they sat so for a few moments. Perhaps they sat so a few hours. It was hard to tell.

Finally, the first light of the sun could be seen on the horizon. Catra stood up.

"Seems the world is still around. We didn't destroy it this night either."

"I'm glad," Glimmer sad sincerely. "Hey... Catra?"

"Yeah?"

"If you ever want to... you know."

"Don't get any ideas Sparkles." Glimmer chuckled. Catra stretched and prepared for a leap, but hesitated.

"...but maybe if you feel lonely some other night I might be bothered to keep you company, if I have nothing else to do." Glimmer met her eyes.

"Any time, horde scum"

With a snort and a leap, Catra was climbing up the castle wall toward Adora's window. Glimmer watched her until she was out of sight, then she took a deep breath and poofed back to her bedroom where Bow was about to be very rudely awoken by a pair of very cold feet on his warm stomach.


End file.
